Ice-making tank



(No Model.) y I 2 sheetsl-shee 1 S. W. JOHNSON.

IUE MAKING TANK. No. 539,363. 111,e 1895.

`w L aa', Bw! aa ie y ATZOHNEY. A

nz onlus creas cd.. mmoLy/rno., wAsnmarou, n. c.

- s. W. JOHNSON.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.) f

ICE MAKING TANK.-

'Patented May 14,1895.

M www4" 8%.

w/TNESSES.-

TN: onlus Prrzns ce.. wo'muwo.. WASHINGTON. n.

Nrn-:p .STATES PATENT OEI-nc.

SAMUEL W. JOHNSON, OE NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

ICE-MAKING TANK.A

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,363, dated-May 14,1895;

l Application filed April 21, 1894. Serial No. 508,517. (No model.) v

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newport News, in the county of Warwick and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inIce-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the freezing tanks ofice-machines, in which the cansor'molds containing the water to befrozen are placed in rows alternating with coils of pipe containingtherefrigerating gas, and the remaining spacebeing filled with brine,but more particularly to the novel means employed to circulate thebrine.

The objects of the invention, are, rst,`.to provide means by which thebrine shall be maintained in constant and rapid circulation; second, toprovide means by which the circulation shall be maintained at a uniformrate of speed in every part of the tank; third, to provide means bywhich the brine shall be circulated with the smallest expenditure ofpower, and, fourth, to provide means by which the circulating device canbe quickly and readily removed from the tank for repairs.

With these' objects in view' the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of the various parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, and specifically set forth intheclaims.

In the acompanying drawings, Figure l represents a vertical section ofthe freezing-,tank

of an ice-machine provided with my improved circulating device; Fig. 2,a vertical section of the same on line @c of Fig. 1 Fig.. 3, ahorizontal section on'kline z z of Fig. l; Fig. 4, a horizontalsectionon line y y of Fig. l; Fig. 5, a vertical section on line w w of Fig. l;and Fig. 6, a vertical Section of the freezing-tank, showing appliedthereto a modified form of my improved removable propellerwheel.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a freezing-tank ofthe usual or ordinary construction; 2, the galvanized-iron cans or moldscontaining the water to be frozen ;l 3, the coils of pipe through whichthe refrigerating gas is circulated, and 4 the water-line below whichall space in the tank, not otherwise utilized, is filled with strongbrine.

The numeral 5 indicates a water-tight false floor, which extends thewhole width of the tank and from the front end to Within about .teninches of the' rear end of said tank. This floor is placed about nineinches above the bottom ofthe tank and is parallel with the same, and isprovided near its frontend with ,a circular opening or port 6. Avertical water-tight partition 7, rises from the false door, and,inclosing three sides ofthe circular opening 6, extends lfrom side toside of the tank. The three sides inclosing'saidbpening and the frontwall of the tank form awell for the propeller wheel, to be hereinafterdescribed. In the partition 7, opposite each space between the rows ofcans ory molds, is a port S, through which the brine returns to thefront of the tank, aswill be hereinafter explained.

The pu'meral 9 indicates three' partitions, situated between the falsefloonand the bottom of the tank and dividing the width space intosubstantially four equal parts. The center partition extends from oneend of the tank to the other, while the other two extend from the rearand before freezing the front ends converge and are united by a lateralpartition, which crosses the center partition, directly beneath thecircular opening or port 6, as shown in Fig. 4. By means of thisconstruction of the two outside partitions more brine is delivered tothe two outside spaces than to the middle ones. Between the lateralpartition andthe front lwall ofthe tank, the center partitionA Q isprovided, on opposite sides, with a deflecting-board. 10, kset atan'angle of forty-tive degrees the lateral partition being also providedwith a similar deflecting-board l1. These deflecting-boards, beingarranged directly beneath the opening or port 6, serve to deflect orchange the course of the water, forced down through saidopening or port,from a vertical to a horizontal course. De-

ICO.'

mit

the wheel is journaled stationary.it is neces-` sary to draw the brinein order to obtain access to the wheel to make repairs, thus caus in gconsiderable loss.

The numeral 2O indicates a space atthe rear of the tank, not covered bythe false iioor, said space being divided into four ports 21 by the=partitions 9. Through these ports the brine, forced `under said floorand between said :partitions rises and iiows between the cans or molds.

In the modification, shown Yin Fig. `G, the movable frame 13 isdispensed with, the upper end ofthe shaft 17 being journaledrina boxsecured to a truss-timber 22, of the roof.

and the lower part :in a box secured to `a bridge-tire, 23, in thetank.To prevent `undue strain on the shaft, the propeller-wheel is brought asnear as possible to the lower journal-box, and the opening or port 6 iscased up about half way between thelfalse floor and-the brine-line. Theshaft and wheel is readily removable, and the circulation is effectedequally as well with the "propellerwheel arranged as just described aswith the one previously described. One of the great advantages of thismethod of circulation, is that the `brine is not lifted but simplycirculated, the only power required `being that which is simplynecessary to overcome the friction of the brine passing through theports, which power is very small compared to the loss of friction in thebrine pumps, in common use, which, being outside of the tank, constantlyabsorb heat while the herein described circulating device, being insideof the tank, causesno loss in temperature.

The operation of the device is as follows: Power being applied rto thepulley,from the compressor (not shown) or other suitable source, thepropeller-wheel is set in motion. The brine is forced down through theport 6 and being divided into fourcurrents by the partitions 9, pass upthrough theports 2 l and is delivered evenly across the whole end ofthetank. By meansof the deiiectors the flow of the descending currentismaterially assisted to a horizontal tiow, and `thebrine asit risesthrough said ports 21 flows between `the cases or molds, absorbingtheuheat from the water contained therein, which `heat `is in turnabsorbed from the brine by the refrigeratin g gas in the coils. Thebrine returns-to thepropeller-wheel through` the `ports 8,the depth ofwhich iit will be observed,increases in proportion to their distanceVfrom the propellerwheel. This is intended to compensate .for the lossof friction caused by the brinepass- Aice inlregnlar rotation,commencing with the first row across the end of the tank. Muchdelaylandannoyance is caused by the water in all of the cans or molds,in the same row, not being frozen at the same time, and regui `larfreezing can only be secured by means of a uniform circulation of thebrine.

ln very large tanks it might be necessary to use two or more wheels, inwhich case, the entire arrangement could be duplicated.

`I am .aware that propellenwheels have heretofore been used to circulatebrine, and therefore do not `broadly claim `it Ain combination with afreezing-tank, but What I doclaim, and desire .to secure by LettersPatent, .is-r

l. Inan icemachine,ra refrigerating-tank constructed with afalsefbottom, which is situated above the bottom proper and provided,near the front end with a port to admita downward current of brine, andat `the rear end with atransverse openingor space to allow the currentof brine to escape upward, said tank being divided `intoa series of1ongitudinal brine `chambers extending from the rearof the tank andcommunicating with the port in the false floor, whereby the brine isevenly and uniformly distributed, substantially as specified.

2. In an ice-machine, a freezing-tank having a false bottom `providedwith a port to admit a current of brine, anda transverse opening `topermit the escape of said brine, and a series of longitudinal verticalpartitions,forming brine channels, said partitions so arranged andconnected at their forward ends that the descendingcurrent of brine willbe distributed into 4each channel, substantially as specified. i

3. In an ice-machine, the combination, with a freezing-tank havingafalse floor, substantially as described, watertight .partitidrn risingfrom said `falseiioor and extending across the front end of the tank, asdescribed,.said partition so arranged as to form,in connection with thefront end of the tank,.awell aroundfthe circular opening or port in thefalse floor.

4:.'In an icemachine, a freezing-tanklpro vided with a falseoor andcross partition ,substantially as described, a port arranged'in theupper part of said partition,opposite reach spacebetween the rowsofpans, throughwhich ports brine` is vadmitted tothe chamber formedbetweenthe partition and theend of the tank.

5. `In anice machine, a freezingtank, provided with a false floor andcross partition,su`bstantially,as=described, a seriesiof portsnear theupper fpartof said partition, the ports on eachsideof 4the middle uportbeing success sase 3:,

ively deeper as the distance from the center increases. t

6. In an ice machine, the freezing-tank provided with the false floor 5and having the ports 6 and 21 in combination with the partition 7 havingthe ports 8, as and for purposes set forth.

7. In an ice machine, the combination, with the freezing-tank providedwith a well, of an upright shaft carrying at its lower end a propellerwheel, and journaled in bearings secured to a movable frame, suitablysupported in said Well, whereby the shaft, wheel, and frame can all belifted out of the well, for repairs or other purpose, and returned tothe same, as specified. v

8. In an ice-machine, the combination, with the freezing-tank having afalse ioor provided with ports at each end, for the passage of thebrine, a series of vertical partitions, placed longitudinally beneathsaid toor, and a vertical partition, rising from the false iloor andprovided with a series of ports, of a propeller- Wheel, mounted on amovable frame situated in the well, formed by the vertical partition andthe front Wall of the tank, substantially as specified.

9. In an ice-machine, the combination, with the freezing-tank, havingavfalse floor provided with suitable ports at the front and rear, aseries of longitudinal vertical partitions, as described, and atransverse vertical partition forming, with the front wall of said tank,a central Well, and provided with a series of ports, of a circulatingdevice located in said Well, whereby the -brine is caused to circulatefreely and evenly throughout the tank, sub stantially as specified.

10. In an ice-machine, the combination,witl1 the freezing-tank havingthe false floor provided with ports 6 and 21, the partition 7 pro# videdwith ports 8, and the partitions 9 provided with deilectingboards, of acirculating device consisting of a propeller-wheel 18, shaft 17journaled in a movable frame, the movable 45 frame 13, and thesustaining collars 16, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

SAMUEL W. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

CLARA L. JOHNSON, ELLEN A. JOHNSON.

